“Is that the truth?”
“Gospel.”
“Hmm. That eases me some.”
“You were concerned what Mr. Stonechurch thought?”
“His good opinion is important. He has a lot of influence in these parts, not just in Stonechurch. If he thinks this station is a liability, it won’t matter if I offer a bribe to Mr. Berry. The rails will detour over Hammersmith land. That’s a given.”
Call didn’t doubt that she was right. “I don’t think you have to worry about Stonechurch’s good opinion. You have it.”
“I’m not sure what I’ve done to earn it.”
“The expression ‘don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ comes to mind.”
Laurel chuckled quietly.
“What’s your opinion of him?” asked Call.
“He’s intelligent, works at least as hard as anyone working for him, and knows his own mind.”
“Do you know his brother?”
“Leo? We’ve met. They work well together, depend on each other. You know that town isn’t named after the man who hired you. It’s named after his grandfather. Mr. Stonechurch isnota Pharaoh in spite of what people think.”
“Ramsey. Ramses. I assumed that’s how he acquired the nickname.”
“I imagine it is.”
Call hesitated, wondering if he should say anything about what he’d learned. He decided in favor of letting her know. “He told me about you,” Call said. “About what happened here after the war.”
Laurel nodded.
“You’re not surprised.”
She shrugged. “People talk. I’m used to it. If you told folks in town that you’re working here, I imagine you heard it again.”
“I did tell them, and I didn’t hear it.”
“Nowthatsurprises me.”
“Do you mind talking about it?” She was so long in answering that Call thought silence was her answer.
“Do you know, Mr. Landry, you’re the first person in a long, long time to ask me if I minded and only the second person ever to take my feelings into consideration. In case you’re wondering, Rooster was the first. Plenty of people talk around me, about me, but rarely to me. I believe they think they’re taking my feelings into account because these are good people doing the talking, but the opposite is true. It’s uncomfortable. It feels pitying. I don’t want that. I don’t need it. So, no, I don’t mind talking about what happened. What do you want to know?”
Call wasn’t sure. He wasn’t expecting the question to be put to him so bluntly. At last he asked, “How did you survive?”
“I didn’t realize it was a choice. I’m not being glib. My father—his name was Thomas—was dead. My brothers, George and Martin, were dead. I was alive and I had to go on. It was that simple and that awful. Rooster showed up and never left. That helped. Folks trickled in from town after the shooting. A few stayed on to help me run the station. I’ve had different stage tenders over the years. Hired as many as six at one time, but four or five seems about right. We get by.”
“I think you do better than that.”
“Maybe.”
“What about the raiders? Mr. Stonechurch didn’t think they were ever caught.”
“I don’t think they were. I had it in my mind to go after them. Foolish, of course. Rooster threatened to hog-tie me. I took him at his word and stayed right here.”
“Do you regret listening to him?”
